ReeRee's Blog

Not every idea I've ever had was a successful one. In that it didn't lead me to the place I'd hoped when I'd started. Before I launched my own lipstick brand I dabbled with other routes for Rockalily success. I trained in massage, and did Rockalily Massage (uniform and business cards and all). I hosted singles nights for those of us who are a tad more alternative. I tried to create a tattoo shop review page. Go back even further and I quit teaching. Quit is an emotive word though isn't it? I changed path, and don't feel like a quitter at all ironically. Sticking with something just because you started it would be rather foolish.

Walking away from an idea, or a person is not the same as failure, and in many cases can be a success in itself. Knowing when it's worth more to leave than to stay is a powerful intelligence to have.

Long gone are the days when we're expected to pick one path and stick to it to the bitter end. We don't expect career choices to last 50 years, nor are we surprised when unhappy marriage partners choose divorce.

The fact that I stopped teaching, and left education completely doesn't mean I failed at teaching. My success there, led me to where I am now, our paths are creatively mingled and that is awesome. I was a successful teacher and librarian, but there was no failure in me changing my path. We're allowed to create our lives with as many of the colour pencils in the box as we wish.

Ease up on yourself. Zigzagging along can be fabulous. It gives us a vastness of experience that those who have stuck to one path for 30 years can only imagine. We're not failing, we're changing.